1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R - Really Wide Tires On A '94-'95 - How-To

In Case You Didn't Know, The Modern Classic '95 Cobra R Wheel Is Available In A Huge 17x10.5-Inch Size For The Back Of SN-95 Mustangs

Miles Cook

August 1, 2002

First seen on the 351W-powered '95 Mustang Cobra R, the already legendary 17-inch Cobra R wheel is now a cult classic even beyond what Ford imagined. Only a few others are in this lofty place among the seemingly endless world of wheels, and the amazing thing is how fast the Cobra R rim got there. Seven years since its debut on the '95 R, the wheel can rightfully be mentioned with icons such as the American Torq Thrust D, the styled-steel wheel for '65-'67 Mustangs, and the Boss 302's Magnum 500.

Another spin on the Cobra R design comes from Autumn Fleet Sales in the form of a massive 17x10.5-inch Cobra R-style wheel that's a perfect fit on the back of an SN-95 Mustang. We stopped in at AFS to look at its Cobra R-style offerings for both Fox and SN-95 cars. But just so we're clear, the 10.5-inch wide wheel fits only on the back of SN-95 Mustangs. It won't fit Fox-body cars or on the front of an SN-95.

Interestingly, another one worthy of mention is the 17x8-inch '96-'97 Cobra style wheel available in both four- and five-lug for Fox or SN-95 Mustangs.

AFS Package SetupsFor the record, any AFS Cobra R-style wheel is available with a silver, polished, or chrome finish. For those who want to take the big plunge and go with a complete wheel-and-tire package, you'll want to consider what AFS offers using Dunlop SP 8000 tires. In addition, the AFS pricing includes the center caps, mounting, balancing, and shipping anywhere in the lower 48 states.

PN CR105A includes two 17x8 Cobra R-style wheels with 245/45ZR17 Dunlop tires for the front and two 17x10.5 wheels with 315/35ZR17 Dunlop tires for the rear. In silver, the tab is $1,771, polished $1,851, and chrome $2,126.

PN CR105B substitutes the 8-inch wheels and 245 tires for 17x9s and 255/40ZR17s. Pricing on this setup in silver runs $1,823, polished $1,903, and chrome $2,178. If you already have tires, the wheels are available separately for $895 in silver, $975 polished, and $1,250 chromed. Furthermore, if you already have front Cobra Rs, the 10.5-inch wheels are available by themselves for $273.75 each in silver, $293.75 each polished, and $362.50 each chromed. Again, all the above-noted prices include shipping anywhere in the continental U.S.

Next Gen Cobra R WheelSeven years ago, the '95 Cobra R was a big deal. Even today this Windsor-powered SN-95 is still one of the coolest ever late-model Mustangs. But time marches on and the 2000 Cobra R is the current benchmark in Cobra R-dom. Wanna make your SN-95 look like a 2000 Cobra R? The wheels are the best place to start. You may not have a factory DOHC 5.4 in your car, but you can have the 2000 R's 18-inch wheels. For quite a while, the 2000 R's wheels have been available from Ford Racing Performance Parts.

In the FRPP catalog, two variations of the latest R wheel-silver and chrome-are available as well as many other wheels that came as factory equipment on SN-95 Ponies. Besides the 2000 Cobra R wheel, FRPP also sells the current GT premium package wheel (informally known as the "Bullitt" wheel) and two styles of Cobra wheels originally used on '98 and '99 Cobras-each of which are different. Of course, you can order any FRPP part directly from FRPP itself, or from one of the many dealers across the country that stock Ford Racing components, such as two of our favorites-Summit Racing Equipment and Dallas Mustang.